An acronym, "Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir" or "Forge and Construction Workshop of the Department of Eure-et-Loir" (in English), FACEL was a metal stamping company that built bodies for the likes of Delahaye, Panhard, and Simca. Founded in 1939 by Jean Daninos, the firm produced a number of cars that were meant for the rich and the elite who preferred French elegance and American spaciousness.

The Facel Vega Excellence was a luxury saloon car that was first presented to the public in 1956. Apparently, this was their first and only 4-door model with a length of 17.5-feet. This car weighed almost 2 tons and ran with a 5.9-litre Chrysler 'B-series' 5.9-litre V8 engine and also had a Chrysler-made 3-Speed TorqueFlite Automatic transmission.

The cost of the Facel Vega Excellence was almost 5 times more than the Citroen DS saloon car. It had all the luxury features that American cars would have had in the fifties. This included power steering, power brakes, air-conditioning and electric windows.